THE CUCKOO'S NEST FOLK CLUB

(a non-profit collective promoting traditional & roots folk music in London since 1973)

2024-2025 CONCERT SCHEDULE

UPCOMING CONCERTS

David Bradstreet with Carl Keesee

CD Release Concert – “Live in London”

Sunday, January 19, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

SOLD OUT!

This is a CD release concert for “Bradstreet & Keesee LIVE in London” which was recorded at the Cuckoo’s Nest in December of 2023. This is your chance to get this album before it is released anywhere else.

For this concert, David will be joined by his longtime friend and collaborator Carl Keesee (bass). Together David and Carl along with the late Bill Hughes recorded several albums together as the group Lazarus for the prestigious American label Bearsville.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

If you have dinner at The Marienbad Restaurant (519-679-9940), next door to Chaucer’s, prior to the concert, you can reserve your seats for the concert by placing your coats on your choice of chairs prior to the doors opening to the general public.

Langille & Sims

“Blue Valentines #6 – Reality Check”

Saturday, February 8, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Paul Langille & Paul Sims present Blue Valentines #6 - Reality Check. This follows last year's sell out of the continuing series of "Blue Valentines" concerts. There will be more songs about love and its trials and tribulations along with Paul's usual self-deprecating humour. “It’s not a schmaltzy, sucky, syrupy Valentine’s Day,” said Langille. “It’s for all the people who’ve been around the block once or twice. We’re not taking the romance out of it, romantic songs are speaking from the heart, but the heart gets a little side-tracked. The poetic, romantic is not reality. What you read in a card or a song isn’t really true — the ‘I can’t live without you.’ Well, you can. I think there’s some humour to be found in it. There’s a demographic of people who feel Valentine’s is a tad overdone.”

The playlist includes Langille’s own compositions and carefully selected covers. He expects plenty of audience interaction as people join in on the chorus of their favourite tunes. “They are about love, but not all saccharin,” Langille said. “They’re not all hurtin’ songs. It’s all done tongue-in-cheek so it’s not a sad night.”

In recent years, Paul Langille has been nominated 8 times in the Singer/Songwriter and the Blues category at the Forest City London Music Awards). He was also nominated 11 times for the London Music Awards in various categories. In 2008, Paul won the Jack Richardson Award (now FCLMA) for best Contemporary Singer/Songwriter. Paul's recording "Pine & Locke" pays homage to his hometown of Hamilton, ON. His latest recording is "Live at the Princess Avenue Playhouse" and is available from www.paullangille.com

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

NEW CUMBERLAND

Sunday, February 16, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Featuring inventive solo work, driving rhythms and three-part vocal harmonies, New Cumberland’s musical integrity and joy in playing together resonates in every performance. The resumes for the various individuals in New Cumberland include bluegrass stints with the Dixie Flyers, Rural Retreat and Cumberland Wail – as well as wide ranging experiences outside bluegrass in rock and folk music.

Proficient in the straight-ahead driving bluegrass of Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin, New Cumberland also stretches the genre in directions taken by The Seldom Scene, John Hartford and Jerry Garcia’s Old and in the Way. Songs from non- bluegrass artists such as the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, The Beatles, The Stones and Willie P. Bennett are also liable to appear on a New Cumberland set list.

“Refreshingly tuneful, New Cumberland has everything I love about roots music; seamless harmonies, timeless tunes, and a whole lot of things with strings!” - Allison Brown, Former host of CHRW’s “For the Folk”, 94.9 FM London.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Newberry & Verch

(presented by Sunfest in cooperation with Cuckoo’s Nest)

Sunday, March 2, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Growing up, Joe Newberry and April Verch absorbed traditions of home and hearth – in his Missouri Ozarks and her Ottawa Valley of Canada. Although they are on the road much of the year, the two musicians are fond of saying that they are rarely homesick, because their music means they always have a bit of home with them wherever they go.

Joe Newberry comes from a family of singers and dancers. He took up the guitar and banjo as a boy and learned fiddle tunes from great Missouri fiddlers. April Verch grew up listening to her Dad’s country band play for dances in the Ottawa Valley. She started step dancing at age three and fiddling at age six. In a Newberry & Verch show, delighted audiences see first-hand the roots of their music, their love of performing, and their strong musical connection. Original songs join timeless classics. Stories warm the heart and give audiences a chance to understand where the music comes from. Lively fiddle and banjo numbers combine with traditional dance steps to illustrate happy times when people made their own fun. Whether it is the power of two voices lifted in harmony, or the sound of traditional tunes calling people to get up and move, these two masters of tradition put on an unforgettable show. And, when their feet kick up the dust in perfect rhythm and those two voices become one, Joe Newberry and April Verch make folks remember why this music existed in the first place.

Known around the world for his clawhammer banjo playing, Joe Newberry is also a powerful guitarist, singer and songwriter. The Gibson Brothers’ version of his song “Singing As We Rise,” featuring guest vocalist Ricky Skaggs, won the 2012 IBMA “Gospel Recorded Performance” Award. With Eric Gibson, he shared the 2013 IBMA “Song of the Year” Award for “They Called It Music.” A longtime guest on A Prairie Home Companion, he was a featured singer on the Transatlantic Sessions 2016 tour of the UK, and at the Transatlantic Session’s debut at Merlefest in 2017. In addition to his work with April Verch, he plays in a duo with mandolin icon Mike Compton. He also plays and teaches at festivals and workshops in North America and abroad.

Before launching her professional career, April Verch was the first woman to win both the Canadian Grand Masters and Canadian Open Fiddling Championships. In 2000, she formed “The April Verch Band,” and together they have toured the world, performing in 18 different countries. She has released 14 solo recordings to date, receiving JUNO, Canadian Folk Music and Independent Music nominations and awards for several of those releases. She has also released an instructional stepdance DVD, a book of original fiddle tunes, and a Canadian Fiddle tune teaching method for Mel Bay. Verch was one of 6 fiddlers who represented the Canadian fiddle tradition to the world at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, as part of a segment called “Fiddle Nation” featured in the Opening Ceremonies.

Ever since Newberry & Verch met, and discovered a musical spark that few can match, they have toured across North America, Europe, and the UK, including Nova Scotia’s signature festival Celtic Colours International Festival, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in New York state, and Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland. Their CD, “Going Home,” was released to wide acclaim in 2018. In 2021 they released “On This Christmas Day,” an album to accompany their annual Holiday Cheer Tours.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Genticorum

(presented by Sunfest in cooperation with Cuckoo’s Nest)

Sunday, March 30, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Genticorum is an internationally acclaimed Quebec folk power trio that beautifully melds the dynamism of contemporary North American and European folk music with traditional fiddle and folk tunes from La Belle Province and “new trad” (original compositions in the traditional vein). Renowned for its stunning musicianship and gorgeous vocal harmonies, Genticorum is comprised of Yann Falquet (guitar, bass, jaw harp, vocals), Pascal Gemme (fiddle, vocals) and Nicholas Williams (wooden flute, piano, accordion, vocals). All three musicians contribute percussion by clogging (rhythmic foot tapping).

Their sound is rooted in the driving dance rhythms of the Québécois music vernacular, which the trio infuses with raw, boundless energy. Genticorum’s eclectic mix of traditional instruments, impish sense of humour, and joyful, charismatic stage presence make the band a supreme crowd pleaser. Roots Canada says, “The chance to see these merry wizards deliver the goods live is about as good as music gets.” Just in case you were wonderding, the band's name comes from a nonsensical, Dog Latin word in a salty old French-Canadian song.

Over the past 20+ years, Genticorum has released seven albums, the latest is “Au coeur de l'aube” – In the Heart of Dawn (released in 2023). This powerhouse folk trio has played over 1,000 concerts in more than 15 countries (They are especially popular in New England and are enjoying a growing fan base in California). During the pandemic Genticorum released a series of four EPs named after the months of September, October, November, and December (these are available for download on the band's website). Also, the band has earned four Canadian Folk Music Awards, several JUNO and Félix Award nominations, and the 2018 Opus Prize (from the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec) for ‘best concert - traditional music.’ Genticorum had the honor and surprise to receive the 2020 Aldor Prize at La Grande Rencontre Festival in Montreal.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Graham Lindsey Trio

(L to R: Paul Mills, Graham Lindsey, Maddy O’Regan)

Saturday, April 25, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Graham Lindsey writes inventive and dynamic Celtic tunes in a centuries-old tradition, and his energetic playing of mandolin, tenor banjo, guitar and more attract audiences and session players alike. His dynamic stage presence as a solo artist is only amplified when playing with other fine musicians, and the energy and joy they have on stage will spill out into the audience, leaving you smiling. His tunes are catchy and will be stuck in your ears for days. Graham has played across Canada and in Sweden too, and several of his tunes have been performed on the Peace Tower Carillon, 53 bells that ring out over Ottawa from Parliament Hill. His debut album TradHead (2019) was nominated in the Instrumental Solo Artist category at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (2020), and the first single, “Fractions” from his second album received the 2021 Songs From the Heart Instrumental Award from Folk Music Ontario. “Graham brings joyful music to his shows. He displays his joy in his writing, performing, and all of his presence on stage. Add his excellent musicianship and his performances draw audiences to him.” - Arthur McGregor, Upper Canada FolkFest.

Maddy O'Regan is an engaging fiddler and songwriter from Ottawa with over 12 years of professional, freelance performing experience! Growing up, she studied classical violin and over the last several years she has been busy recording and performing, and touring within Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. She has performed to large audiences at the RBC Bluesfest and the Manitoulin Island Country Fest but her favourite shows are with smaller audiences, where you can truly revel in the intimacy of the moment (house concerts, weddings, and cafes, etc.) From 2015 to 2021, Maddy was part of the Ottawa folk group, Jessica Pearson and the East Wind. They toured nationally and internationally and recorded an EP and full album. In 2021, they won “Songs from the Heart” from the Folk Music Ontario awards and were also nominated for “Group of The Year” by the Capital Music Awards.

Paul Mills is perhaps best known as the award-winning producer of folk artists such as Stan Rogers, Ron Hynes and children’s entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram. For over fifty years he has been a key figure in the Canadian folk music scene producing close to 200 albums and CDs. But Paul Mills is also an experienced performer! He is an accomplished guitar player and singer with a repertoire consisting of a wide variety of folk and roots-based music – both original and covers. His songs range from side splitting funny to achingly poignant. On stage Paul is assured, musically accomplished and always entertaining! In recognition of his many years of work and accomplishments as a record producer and performer, in June of 2017, Paul was named as a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2021 Paul was inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame!

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

David Essig

Sunday, May 4, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

David Essig may have started out over fifty years ago as a hired-gun blues guitarist and mandolin player from rural Ontario, but today he’s best known as one of Canada’s most enduring and literate musical story-tellers - a roots songwriter with a difference. With his authentic voice that bridges the blues and country traditions, David performs his original, guitar-driven songs with the narrative precision of a fiction author - which, in fact, he is. David’s recent live album comes from a solo concert in 2018 at the historic Queens Hotel in Dunnville, Ontario. The album contains 14 songs, including 12 of David's originals - from classics like High Ground, to recent songs like Motel as Metaphor.

In addition to his 23 albums of original music, David has published a novel, Dancing Hand, (2013) and a collection of short stories, Fair Days (2022) - a unique project, consisting of 13 stories, all based on narratives in songs he has written. The book comes with an album of new studio recordings of all 13 of the songs that inspired the stories. David is currently working on a second collection of new short stories based on his songs. Last Stop on the Train is slated for release in late 2025.

For concert and festival performances in 2025, David is focusing on his role as a musical storyteller while channeling some serious inner Elmore (James) with his Delta-style slide guitar.

While many members of David’s audience are listeners who’ve followed his narrative trajectory for decades, others are young guitar fans who sit in the front rows, taking notes. To these kids, David smiles and says, “Come for the guitar but stay for the stories.” And the kids do listen. As one 12-year-old commented recently as he watched David’s soundcheck: “The dude can shred.”

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Alan Reid

(founding member of Scotland’s Battlefield Band)

Sunday, May 25, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Glasgow born Alan Reid has been taking Scottish folk music all over the world since 1975. He joined the fledgling Battlefield Band in 1969 while studying at Strathclyde University and subsequently toured and recorded almost 30 albums with this hard-working and enduring band up until 2010, in that time garnering a reputation for his playing and his singing. His groundbreaking keyboard work along with his story-style songwriting and sensitive renditions of traditional song helped cement the band’s reputation as one of the most influential Celtic bands of its generation. With the band Alan toured the world, bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in five continents and playing in many prestigious music festivals and venues. In 2009 he was nominated in the Scots Traditions Awards in the ‘Composer of the Year’ category. Along with former Battlefield Band colleagues he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in November 2016 in recognition of their contribution to Scots traditional music.

From achingly beautiful ballads (like The Riccarton Tollman’s Daughter and The Pleasure will be Mine) to an entire musical cycle centered on the life and times of Scots native John Paul Jones, Alan has long fostered a reputation for songs in English and Scots that are strong in melody and historical content.

In recent years Alan has taught Scots Song at the prestigious annual “Swannanoa Gathering” in North Carolina, USA. He was also a guest artist in the Linn Records mammoth 12 CD recording of the songs of Robert Burns, Scotland’s beloved National Poet, whose poems, songs and music have endured over the centuries. As well as the recordings with Battlefield Band and with Rob Van Sante, Alan has released two solo albums, The Sunlit Eye and Recollection.

"A master storyteller in song" - Hylton Arts Center, Manassas VA

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

The Marienbad Restaurant is open for dinner on concert days.

Concert day diners can reserve their seats in Chaucer’s prior to doors opening.

Make your reservation by calling 519-679-9942

All concerts at begin at 7:30 pm and most are held at Chaucer's, 122 Carling Street, London, ON
(unless otherwise indicated)

Advance tickets can be purchased during the season at
Chaucer's/Marienbad Restaurant, Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade North (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Special Advance “5-for-4” Multi-Ticket is available for $100 only at the Concerts
(pay for 4 concerts and get the 5^th one free)

Map to Chaucer's (click here)

We continue to be a completely volunteer run organization. We thank you for your support of live music and look forward to seeing you at the concerts. – Ian Davies, Artistic Director.

What’s happened so far in the 2024-25 Season

TALISK - Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

at Rum Runners, London